A parking brake system, conventionally used for a vehicle, is designed to be manually operated by a driver. More specifically, it is operated by operating a brake pedal with a driver's foot, or by operating a brake lever with a driver's hand.
If the parking brake system is designed to be operated electrically, it is possible to automatically operate the parking brake system by detecting operational conditions (e.g., waiting for a signal, and the like), thereby providing an elimination, or reduction, of labor for a driving operation and a simplification of the driving operation.
However, for example, if the brake pedal is operated electrically, there is a possibility for a driver's foot to be caught between the brake pedal and a vehicle body panel.
The present invention has been accomplished with the above circumstance in view, and to provide a parking brake system operable by operating the brake operating member by the drive source, wherein a driver's foot, or hand, is prevented from being caught between the brake pedal and the vehicle body panel.
To achieve such a parking brake system, according to a first feature of the present invention, there is provided a parking brake which is operable by manually operating a brake operating member by a driver, and operable by automatically operating the brake operating member by a drive source, wherein the system comprises limited means for limiting the movement of at least a portion of the driver operated brake operating member, when such brake operating member is automatically operated by the drive source.
According to a second feature of the invention, in addition to the first feature, a driving member connected to the drive source and the brake operating member can engage with and disengage from each other through a locking member, and during automatic operation, limited means releases the locking connection through the locking member to separate the driver operated brake operating member from the driving member.
According to a third feature of the invention, in addition to the first feature, the driver operated brake operating member comprises a base end-side member connected to the drive source, and a tip end-side member operated by a driver, the base end-side and tip end-side members being pivotally supported by a folding shaft. During automatic operation, the limited means permits the tip end-side member to be folded about the folding shaft.